What Needed to Be Done
by ShishaLepus
Summary: After walking in on one of James and Lily's fights, Remus knew what he had to do but he just didn't know if he could do it. (T for lang.) (One-Shot)


"How do you expect me to trust you? You don't tell me anything!" Lily shouted at James half way up to the girls dormitory.

"Don't _trust _me? Don't trust me! Lily I told you-!" He shouted back.

"Oh shut it and go fuck yourself. I'm not taking this shit."

"Lily-" James started but she was gone. Just then he saw Remus, who had come in through the portrait hole to catch the end of fight. "Um… I…" He started, but not wanting to explain the situation. He gave a sad look to his friend and left the common room.

Remus saw Peter and Sirius sitting in the chairs by the fire. They must have seen the whole fight. Or at least heard it. _I bet everyone in Gryffindor heard it_, He thought.

"It's about me again isn't it?" Remus took the chair next to Sirius that had its back to the fire.

"Nonsense! James gives her plenty of other reasons to be mad him other than _that._" Sirius said. However Peter wouldn't look at him and Remus knew that it was a lie.

This would be the third time the fought because of him. Lily was starting to notice James ditching her once a month and this coming full moon fell on the day of a Hogsmeade weekend. Maybe she thought he was cheating on her or something. Either way, Lily knew something was up and James wouldn't tell her anything about it.

It hurt Remus to watch his friend fight with the love of his life because of something he caused. But he knew James. James would never dream of telling Lily his secret. The first two times, they were small enough arguments that Remus could put it to the back of his mind. This time wasn't like the others. It was a full scale fight and he just didn't know how to handle it.

"Great." Remus said feebly. "I'll be in my bed if you need me."

He drew his curtains back and laid thinking about what he should do. James did so much for him every month. Hell, just being his friend, even after he found out, was a blessing the way Remus looked at it. He laid there through supper. He knew what he had to do but he just didn't know if he _could _do it.

Letting people know about him, what he was, was almost worse than the thing itself. And he never had to do it before. His parents, his teachers, they all knew because someone else told them. The lads? They got it all on their own. Lily would be the first person Remus would have to tell. He just didn't want to see the look on her face when she found out. The idea of watching her face turn from it's usual caring glance to disgust.

He sat up on his bed not wanting to stand up the next morning. It was a Saturday, maybe no one would notice if he never got up?

"Oh! Hey, glad it caught you." It was James. He sat next to Remus. "Listen. Don't worry 'bout her, Mate. If she's not going to trust me then she isn't worth it."

James smiled weakly. Remus knew how much James loved Lily. How long he loved her. Looking at that sad face, Remus made up his mind. He was going to be a Gryffindor and do what was brave. What was right.

"Thank you, James. You're one of the best people I've ever met. Right up there with Dumbledore. Honestly. I'm sorry that I'm your problem. I'm going to fix this." Remus said running from the room before James could talk him out of it. Remus was still wearing yesterday's clothes.

When he got down from the dorm room, he saw Lily headed for the door.

"Lily! Lily, wait!" He called after her. "Mind taking a walk with me?"

"Remus I really don't want to talk about-"

"Its not about James. Well, I mean he's involve, but its not _him_. Oh, do you want to know where he goes or not?"

"you're just going to sell out your mate?" Lily gave him a questioning glance.

"Please let me tell you."

Remus took Lily to an empty class room away from the great hall, knowing that's where most students would be at this time. She sat in a chair; he, on a desk facing her. They sat there in silence for a long moment. Sometimes, he would open his mouth, like he was going to talk, but would just close it.

"Remus, I really appreciate this, but I'm not going to make you sell out your friend. And I don't really want to sit here all day." Lily got up to leave. Remus took her arm.

"Wait, Lily. I'm sorry." He said in an almost whisper. "The reason James wouldn't tell you is because its not his secrete. Its mine. And its not something I really like talking about."

She sat back down.

"Now James really loves you, so once I tell you this you have to promise that you won't be upset with him anymore, even if you hate me." He wasn't looking her in the eyes anymore. His face felt hot.

"Remus I could never hate-"

"Just promise me?" he begged.

Lily Nodded. there was another moment of silence. _It doesn't matter if she hates you, it's what's right,_ he told himself.

"I, Remus Lupin, am a werewolf." His voice felt steady, but he couldn't look at her his eyes were glued to his shoes. "I've been since I was four. On the full moon, the nurse takes me to a place where I can't hurt anyone but myself. That's where I go when I'm 'sick'."

His eyes were feeling heavy and it was getting harder to see his shoes. Remus could feel her looking at him, could feel her perceptive of him, her friendship leaving. _Just keep going_, he told himself. Remus explained how the three of his friends turned into animals for him. How James was a stag, just like his patronus.

"Now I know you hate me but just forgive James. He really is a great friend and-"

But Lily did not hate Remus. She wasn't angry with him. He leaned forward and pulled him tight.

"Remus Lupin, how could you ever think I would hate you?" She said. He knew he was crying now. He wanted to stop but couldn't.

"I'm- I'm- I'm a Mons-Monster. A dirty werewo-wolf. A ha-alf-breed."

"Absolutely not. And I never want to hear you talk about yourself like that." She was holding him like a mother holds her child as silent tears ran down his face. "I am so sorry I put you in this position."

Remus looked up at Lily for the first time in the conversation. He piercing green looked at him. The same caring look they had before she knew. Nothing had changed.

* * *

><p><em>AN: Thanks for reading! Just a little one-shot I wrote last night when I should have been writing on The Oresteia... Hope you liked it! R&R!_


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